Children Losing Baby Teeth

When children lose their baby teeth they start to feel like a big kid.  Our six year old daughter always gets excited when one of her teeth is loose.  She constantly plays with it and wiggles it until it falls out.  When she lost her third tooth she came into our room in the middle of the night to tell us.  She wasn't in any pain and there's already a permanent tooth growing in its place.  Last night she lost the fourth tooth.  She was playing with her little sister and bit down on something and it fell out.  She's looking forward to a visit from the tooth fairy.  

Children normally start losing their baby teeth around age four.  When this happens it's important to reinforce good dental hygiene.  Make sure your child brushes his/her teeth twice a day and flosses at night before they go to bed.  Limit the amount of sugary treats they have and schedule regular dental visits.  You can also talk to your dentist about sealants to help prevent cavities.  Our six year old daughter went to the dentist and got a sealant a couple of weeks ago.  

Taking good care of your child's permanent teeth will help them last a long time.

 

Children Picking Their Nose

A lot of children have a bad habit of picking their nose.  Even though it's a common behaviour for children it's probably one of the most annoying behaviours to parents.  Our four year old picks her nose sometimes and when my husband and I see her do it we tell her to stop.  We always tell her to wash her hands immediately after and use a tissue if necessary.  Recently our 20 month old started copying that behaviour and now picks her nose too. 

Children usually pick their nose because they have mucus stuck in there from an infection or they're just bored.  Mucus contains a lot of germs and picking their nose can cause nosebleeds.  My husband and I are trying to nip it in the bud.  The most we can do is encourage our children to use a tissue and wait to see when they grow out of this bad habit. 

Children Biting at School

Children usually bite other children when they're unable to communicate their feelings.  Some children bite due to behavioural issues.  

Our four year old is in junior kindergarten and there's a girl in her class that apparently bites other children often because she has behavioural issues.  Our daughter likes to play with this little girl and has been bitten by her more than once.  The teacher can't keep them apart, but she does keep an eye on the little girl and takes appropriate action.  One day her teacher approached me and advised that our daughter bit a child.  I was shocked because she never does that.  She was obviously copying the little girls' behaviour.  I talked to her teacher and she said when the other little girl bites she gets sent to the office and she thinks our daughter did it to get the same kind of attention.  My husband and I talked to our daughter and told her that biting is not nice and she should always use her words.  We explained to her that when the other little girl goes to the office it's because she's in trouble and biting is not acceptable.  I'm happy to say that she hasn't bitten anybody ever since. 

If your child is biting other children talk to him/her to find out what is causing their frustration.  It's important to understand the reason behind the biting so it can be stopped.  If your child is being bitten by another child, make sure they get medical attention to check the severity of the bite.  Talk to the teacher to find out why the child might be biting and find out what precautions they are taking to prevent it from happening again. 

Five Ways to Take Care of Your Child's Fever

As a parent, you feel helpless when your child is sick with a fever.  A fever is the body's way of fighting off whatever is attacking the body.  When your child has a fever there are five things you could do to keep it under control:

1. Take your child's temperature regularly and keep track of any changes.  I prefer to use an ear thermometer because it's gives a much faster reading.

2. Give your child the recommended dosage of acetaminophen or ibuprofen to help reduce the fever.

3. Give your child plenty of fluids to keep them hydrated.  Beverages with electrolytes are best. 

4. Try not to put too much clothes on them, especially when they're sleeping.  It's better to keep them cool and comfortable.

5. Pay attention to the way your child behaves.  Sometimes even when they have a fever they still have an interest in playing and they might eat a little.  When they start eating and sleeping like normal it probably means they're feeling better.

 

Children With Older Siblings Maturing Faster

My husband and I have three children and I notice our second and third child is developing a lot faster than our first.  I remember potty training our first daughter was a nightmare.  Our second daughter potty trained a lot faster.  

Our six year old is in grade one and she was having problems with her reading.  She started doing Kumon and her reading has improved a lot.  Our four year old daughter likes to do Kumon with her older sister, so my husband photocopies them for her and she does them too.  Her reading and writing is beyond a junior kindergarten level.  Our third daughter is 20 months old and she tries to keep up with her older sisters.  She likes to write and colour and she has excellent pincer grasp.  She climbs the stairs and says a lot of words earlier than her sisters did.  

I think children with older siblings develop faster because they watch what they do and listen to what they say and want to be like them.  The younger children love and respect their older siblings and want to play with them so they try to keep up. 

I hope our third daughter potty trains easily :-)

Back to School After Christmas Break

 

Well, Christmas has come and gone for another year.  You spend so much time getting ready for it and then just like that, it's over.  During the Christmas break we visited family and did fun things with our children.  It was nice having quality time with my family, but it's time to get back to reality.  My husband goes back to work, our girls go back to school and I go back to doing all the things I have to do. 

 

If you have children that are going back to school after the Christmas break you want to make sure that you're prepared.  Maybe a few days before try getting your children back in their normal routine to get them ready for back to school.  The day before they start school, try to get all the laundry done and put away so they have clean clothes ready.  The night before they start school, make their lunches so you don't have to do it in the morning when you're in a rush.  Check your children's backpacks for any unfinished homework and put them to bed early so they don't have trouble getting up in the morning.

Happy New Year!